Take This To Heart
by ItaminoHime
Summary: She found it in the most unlikely places, at such a strange times. Haruno Sakura was a little girl too in love with the idea of love to realize she had it right in front of her the whole time. When her paths cross with such a strange man, she didn't know what to expect. [KakaSaku - Age Progress]
1. Ice

Take This To Heart

_Ice._

_Does it look like I've got everything under control?  
I'm good at faking it  
The ice is getting thin but I'm the only one who knows  
I'm only making it up_

Make It Up.  
Sam Tsui.

* * *

Sasuke wasn't the only person she had been in love with at age twelve.

It was something silly, Sakura spending the night at Ino's between missions, early genin girls wondering how they were going to do their hair to try and impress Sasuke the following day at training. Ino had asked Sakura if there was anyone else she had liked, and while the pinkette thought about it long and hard, she couldn't come up with anyone. So tentatively, she asked Ino her opinion of Shikamaru, only to see the girl's face go up in a mess of crimson, sputtering words _and no he's just my best friend is all._

Best friend. _Right_.  
Sakura wasn't stupid.

But still, as the days following that particular sleepover passed, Sakura walked with her head high and lips pursed, wondering silently who stood out to her. There was not anyone in the village who was as cute and as mysterious as Sasuke.

Or so she thought.

It had happened at training one particular fall afternoon, the three of them against Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke, ever being the Uchiha he was brought up as, was quick and calculated, moved precise; the exact opposite of the loud and brash Naruto. It was moments of weakness, seeing the two boys together, that Sakura truly felt like the third wheel. Their team didn't get along at all, and they never talked to her about anything. They had made a plan, sure, but Sakura was the only one to stick to said plan.

So she sat in the tree, waiting for Sasuke's signal to move. When he burst from the trees without alerting her, Sakura had been upset, who wouldn't have? She felt forgotten, and dammit she was not useless! Her near perfect chakra control had given her the ability to climb the frosty trees, but not the ability to cross slippery bridges.

Kakashi had easily jumped over the river, being a high ranking jounin that he was, it was easy. She had been crossing the river, the bridge lacking a standard safety rail when her foot caught ice. Sakura's eyes had widened, her heart shooting into her chest as she felt towards the frozen river. She closed her eyes for the initial impact, but a strong grip caught her wrist, and pulled her back up, the twelve year old breathing erratically.

The two boys hadn't even noticed, too busy arguing with each other, and Sakura had clung to Kakashi's flak jacket for the life of her, jade eyes wide. "Are you okay, Sakura?" His voice was low, slightly worried and his visible eye was wide as he waited for his answer. Sakura was unable to answer him, her voice catching on her throat as she looked up to her teacher.

And on that bridge, when she was twelve, she realized maybe Sasuke wasn't the only mysterious one.

_23/11/2014_

_Art: Xtcetera - tumblr_


	2. Cigarettes

Take This To Heart.

_Cigarettes._

* * *

The first time he had come to training after Asuma's death, he smelt of cigarette smoke.

She wasn't particularly fond of the smell, since it seemed to cling unwanted on her clothes that she spent far too long hand washing. Naruto was forever oblivious to the smell, but Sakura had picked up on it instantly. Now she was fifteen, and Sasuke was gone, Naruto just returning and things were a mess. She had been training with Tsunade, and although she was getting stronger, so had Sasuke and Naruto.

It seemed as if she would only forever be staring at their backs.

So after training, she turned down Naruto's invitation to ramen, feigning exhaustion, and decided to go home. Except, she didn't particularly go home, seeing as the sun was just setting and the sky was that gorgeous shade of magenta-violet that she loved to no end. It was a kind colour, soft on the eyes with soft pale orange clouds, basking the village in twilight.

So perching on her favourite rooftop, Sakura decided to people watch, and maybe read her medical textbook.

Nightfall came fast over her, the sky changing such a drastic colour, a midnight blue with specks of brilliant white lights, the stars more visible on the outskirts of the village. Her hand reached out, as if wanting to touch them, medical book on the history of healing chakra sprawled out on her belly as she counted the stars, short pink hair flaring out on the roof tiles below her. Her mind wandered to her sensei, a soft frown and crease appearing on a face too young. Pale skin seemed so cristalline pure against the black canvas of the sky above her, and she wondered.

Haruno Sakura was a pretty simple girl in her opinion, she had been in love with the same boy since childhood, she did her chores and wanted to become a strong kunoichi and a good medic. Her studies were always top of the class, and she had friends, TenTen, Ino, Hinata, the girls from the Konoha 11 were all really close. She occasionally went shopping, and sometimes she wore cute underwear, even if no one would see them, because they made her feel good about herself.

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, laying her head back as she took deep breaths in and out. So feeling the vibrations of someone on the roof, scared her. The scent of tobacco came as quick as her eyes had snapped open, staring up at her sensei, who was staring down at her. Her body jolted up, and Kakashi stepped back as she grabbed her book, clutching it to her chest, cheeks dusted such a soft shade of pink. So wordlessly, Sakura curled into herself, and Kakashi sat next to her. He didn't speak to her, he didn't look at her, and the girl just guessed he didn't want to be alone at the moment. He was missing his best friend, grieving the loss just as Ino and Shikamaru were, Chouji didn't know what to do, and Sakura was distraught. She looked to her sensei, seeing dark eyes ringed in red from lack of sleep and exhaustion.

That summer night when she was fifteen, she fell in love with the smell of smoke.


	3. Breakdown

Take This To Heart.

_Breakdown._

* * *

When she was eighteen, she broke open in front of him.

She had been so busy at the hospital after the end of the war, people were always getting injured even when the world was drenched in peace. She had been going around, her hair long and grown out since the end of the war, chasing her in slightly wavy curls, a slight bounce in her step. When she received her next patient from the nurses' station, her eyes had gone wide and she ran, clutching the folder to her chest as she counted the doors on her left.

When she found the room Kakashi was in, she all but slammed the door open.

The man was sitting on the bed, shirtless with his mask on, reading his damn book as a towel was pressed over the very large and very concerning gash on his chest. He looked up, shutting the book a Sakura heaved, chest constriction and he only blinked lazily at her. "What are you doing here? It's three in the morning." His tone was still very mature and it was deeper, and her brows furrowed as her voice caught in her throat. It had been _three_ months since he left, three, and he hadn't even told her he was leaving in the first place!

She was angry, lips pressed in a fine line as she all but slammed the patient folder onto the table before stocking over to him. "I'm working Kakashi, this is normal."

His brows furrowed, hitai-ate abandoned beside him along with his ruined shirt. Now that his genin team was grown, he had returned to an active member of Anbu, not that he minded. If it meant Sakura was his doctor, then he didn't mind getting hurt at all. But the girl was exhausted, dark bags under her eyes and he gently grabbed her wrist from his chest, healing the deep wound. "When was the last time you slept?"

She sighed, rolling her shoulders, and Kakashi studied her fingers. They were long and feminine, dainty, but could kill him without a second thought. "I don't remember."  
He hummed, and she moved her hands along his torso, digits engulfed in a soft emerald hue that made her eyes seem even brighter. Kakashi wanted to ask her to get some sleep, he wanted to ask how she had been doing. What was Naruto up to, still following Tsunade around?

But tears welled in her eyes, dripping down her nose as she bowed her head, landing on his pants, such gorgeous fingers trembled against his skin. He was alarmed, and he was worried, why was the almighty Haruno Sakura crying? She pulled her hand back, hitting him lightly with a closed fist on his chest, and hiccupped. "Dont you ever scare me like this again, you hear me?"  
His worried gaze softened, and he nodded, putting his hand on her shoulder as she cried. Her knees collapsed under her, and Kakashi was quick to grab her, placing her in a chair. He watched as she buried her face in her hands, crying out so loudly, and not caring if it was in front of her sensei.

She had not grieved for the first love the war had taken from her, and she missed Sasuke terribly. By the time they had returned to Konoha, people needed medical assistance, the village needed help, people were always getting injured. Pulling 48 hour shifts back to back with only six hours off in between; Kakashi was wondering how she was handling things, all these things by herself. Naruto had grieved for Sasuke, Kakashi had not grieved, rather than accepted it, people had moved on, it had been two years. She didn't want to be the one to pronounce Kakashi dead, she worried about him, cared above all else, but she was a brave little girl despite her weaknesses. The hardest heart to heal is the one that started out broken.

So when she was eighteen she broke down in the presence of the only man who could comfort her without a single word.


	4. Greiving

Take This To Heart.

_Grieving._

* * *

When she was twenty, she ran into him in the most unlikely place: the cenotaph.

It was pouring rain, a spring thunderstorm with high winds and almost a foot of rain. Sakura had come, to try and fix herself because this was a first, and it still hurt. She had loved Sasuke, tracing over his name on the memorial stone, and she bit her lips. She was cold, and she was tired, and she just wanted to sleep her depression away, but that's not how things worked. You had to wake up and face the world, and get out and do things with your life.

But still, Sakura allowed herself a moment to revert to the tiny child she once was. Sitting with her knees pulled to her chest in front of the stone, the rain came down in torrents on her skin, soaking her clothes the minute she had left the hospital. But as Sakura sat in front of the stone, she had enough time to reflect on her feelings towards everything really.

Naruto was as brash and wild as ever, but he had given up on Sakura a few years ago, right after the war where he realized how strong his feelings for Hinata were. Sakura was more than grateful for his moving on, not because was annoying (sometimes) or anything like that, but because he was genuinely happy. He was happy, and they were getting married, and Hinata had asked Sakura to be her maid of honour, and Sakura had cried.

She wasn't sure why she had cried that day, only that her chest hurt and it ached in a way she could only describe was similar to the chidori in her chest. Maybe she hadn't truly loved Sasuke at all, maybe she had been a fool in love with the idea of love and Sasuke seemed ideal. She cared about him, yes, she loved him yes, but not in the way that would have been healthy for either of them, it would have gone up in flames even if they had tired.

And admitting that to herself, made her feel a little better.

The night before she hadn't slept at all. She awoke in the middle of the night to the memories of the war, Madara and Obito, Sasuke's body splattered with blood and bleeding out and she couldn't do anything. She still cursed herself, never being strong enough to protect anything she cared about. Her hands clenched against her shins, chin resting on her knees as she stared at the name carved: Uchiha Sasuke. He was only seventeen, so full of anger and hate, but he had a change of heart during the war, and fought alongside Sakura and Naruto to protect Konoha, and that was what mattered to her.

The rain on her head stopped, and she blinked, eyes warm but not from the rain. She turned slowly, seeing Kakashi standing behind her, silent as he stared down at her slowly, covering her head with the umbrella. "You'll catch a cold."

She cried, and she laughed, the choked sob sounding so horrid because maybe she was finally letting Sasuke go. She was grieving, she had been trying for years, but so many emotions were built up, only an explosion would allow her to spill them out. Kakashi crouched down beside her, setting the white lilies in front of the stone, allowing himself to get wet in favour of the girl who was already soaking. "Thanks." She admitted with a small smile, a broken smile and they just sat side by side for some time, thinking everything over.

The crackle of thunder caused her to breathe in deeply, relishing the sound and the scent, the senses other than sight that were in full force around her. Kakashi's strong hand on her shoulders claimed her and she leaned into it, the Hatake shocked at the action, but he knew why she was here. "You're grieving."  
She nodded, feeling ridiculous as she rubbed the endless amounts of tears from her eyes, laughing a little as her wet hands wiped wet tears. "Yeah, finally."  
"It's unhealthy to keep everything in Sakura." She nodded, she knew that. But leave it up to Kakashi to remind her vigorously.

They sat in silence, the seconds turning to minutes, to what seemed like hours. He walked her home of course, wanting to make sure she wasn't going to do something stupid in the horrid storm. They stopped outside her apartment, and she fished for her keys in shaking hands, trying three separate times to unlock the door until Kakashi had to do it for her. She walked into her house, the Hatake giving her a soft smile from behind the mask, the rain pouring around them, and Sakura had realized long before her feelings.

She had been in love with Kakashi since that damn day on the bridge.

So with her hands buried in the man's flak jacket, she yanked him down, pressing their lips together through his mask. His eyes widened and Sakura tried, she tried to let the kiss show how important he was to her. The umbrella dropped from his hands, that rested softly on her hips as she pulled them into her apartment, kicking the door shut with her foot. Kakashi didn't agree, he didn't protest, he didn't know what to do.

So when she reached to remove his jacket, his kind hands stopped her soaking wet ones, and she hung her head, crying as he pulled her to his chest, breathing in deeply.  
That day, a month after her twentieth birthday, she admitted her feelings of Kakashi to herself, and he held her through the night.

When she woke up at dawn the next morning, he was gone.


	5. Drinks

Take This To Heart.

_Drinks._

* * *

She didn't approach Kakashi after the night two years in the rain, and vise versa.

They fell back into the normal routine of things, smooth and uncomplicated. Now she was twenty-two, and more often than not her mind traveled to that of her teacher. She knew she had feelings for him, she had for so long but the 'love' she held for Sasuke blinded her painfully. Now her eyes had healed, and her heart had joined the race.

It had been two years, and every saturday they met up for dinner, ramen, and just talked about the week. She healed him when he was injured and he provided her with the comfort she needed from time to time. As of the moment, Sakura was sitting at her kitchen table, close to sundown, a cup of warm tea in her hands as she read the medical textbook laid out on the table in front of her. Hinata was six months pregnant, her belly growing with the daughter of the blonde dobe she had grown up with, and was concerned at the lack development. Her baby was fine, she was healthy but growing a bit slower than usual, nothing to be concerned about.

Long cherry blossom hair was pulled into a tight bun, bangs pushed behind her ear as she focoused, the sweater baggy on her frame as she bundled in it. It wasn't cold, in fact, it was spring, nice weather and puffy white clouds. She sipped her tea silently, the apartment stacked with books and surprisingly clean if you dismissed all the herbs thrown about, medicinal plants that had long since overgrown their pots hang from the ceiling, and Sakura couldn't remember the last time she slept in her bed, favouring the couch as of late. Her medical knowledge was growing fast and steady, she bettered her brain in the time she had off from the hospital, it had calmed down considerably now that there were more medics, less work for her to do.

Tsunade would be retiring within the next few months, Naruto anxious but he knew he wasn't going to be the next hokage, perhaps the seventh, but the sixth was still undecided. Sakura didn't really bother about politics, as long as the hokage was not a psycho who liked sending ninja on suicide missions, any Hokage would do, they were in an era of peace as is.

The knock on her door resonated, and she hummed, looking up slowly as she shifted out of the chair to see who it was. Scuffing her feet across the wooden floor of her apartment, she rubbed her belly and yawned, unlocking the door and pulling it open.

Only to be met with none other than Hatake Kakashi.

He was smiling down at her, lands lazily in his pockets and she checked the time, making sure she wasn't missing something. It was friday, their dinner wasn't until tomorrow. "Want to have drinks with me tonight?"  
Sakura's heart went straight into her throat, emerald eyes widening ever so slightly as she blinked. They had never discussed their...feelings towards each other, was that what he was doing no? Was he accepting her kiss, now of all times? So taking a deep breath, she let what little hope she had left fill her healing heart, and grinned. "Sure, what time?"  
"Uh," He seemed to think, brows furrowed and she could not believe the man in front of her. He hadn't thought he'd get this far, did he? "Eight?"

His grin matched her own.

The bar was nice, a cozy spot in the hole where Naruto usually occupied most friday nights, as that was what Kakashi had told her when he had picked her up. Luckily, he was not coming tonight, Tsunade was working him to the bone as a freelance slave. Kakashi wore his usual attire, his uniform as he did most every day, Sakura sporting a long sleeved sweater and a pair of jeans with sandals, her hair down as usual. He had commented when he picked her up, saying she looked very gorgeous and even brought her flowers.

She took the advance as a good thing.

Two hours into the bar, and several too many drinks later, they both were laughing too hard, barely able to stand as they walked outside. The cool air felt good, and Sakura didn't even think twice of pulling Kakashi towards her and intertwining their fingers; he didn't pull away. They walked in relative silence back to Sakura's apartment, happy and content as they laughed and made jokes, and it felt too right to be around Kakashi like this.

When they arrived at Sakura's doorstep (Kakashi nearly falling down the stairs in the process) both were smiling at eachother, words unspoken. Kakashis hand was still in Sakura's own, as if a promise to never let her go, and she didn't think twice of inviting him in.

He didn't pull away.

27/11/14


	6. Mornings

Take This To Heart.

_Mornings._

* * *

The following morning, dark rain clouds blocked out the sunrise, and the smell of fresh plants wafted through Sakura's apartment. She was tangled in her own bed sheets, a mess of striking pink hair and pale ivory skin. But she wasn't alone in the bed.

The man had curled tight against her body, both of them naked and too content to care with the moment. Soft lips pressed into her shoulder, and she smiled, intertwining her hands with the pair that were clasped tightly around her belly, and she faced Kakashi in the early morning light. She almost laughed, realizing that for the first time, she had seen her sensei without his mask on. His eyes were closed, and her hands reached out to trace the contours of his jaw, flawless and smooth, the dip of red lips, kiss bruised from their passionate night, and the long slender nose that was in front of her face. His eyes opened softly, reaching out to brush back her bangs to expose the gorgeous purple seal on her forehead, and he leaned up to kiss it softly, knowing how insecure she used to be about her forehead.

She smiled and held him close, and he didn't pull back. Maybe that was what she was always looking for, someone to stick by her side and never leave her when she needed them most. She was looking for someone who wouldn't pull away from her, and stand firm by her side. Unaware that she had already found said person, she wandered around aimlessly, trying to figure out what was wrong. Kakashi nuzzled her neck, and she smiled, running her hands backwards through his messy hair, and he breathed her in. "Tsunade asked me to become the Rokudaime."  
Sakura's hands froze, and she pulled back, staring at the man naked in her own bed in astonishment, emerald eyes wide.

Kakashi smiled and she knew all was well in the world.

That morning, when she was no older than twenty-two years old, she fell in love with Hatake Kakashi.

_29/11/14_


End file.
